Eyes on Epstein: The Sixth Wave from House Oversight Committee – WhoWhatWhy

  A leaky bucket full of new revelations, redactions, and implications.   Because the Epstein story is so complicated and the revelations keep on coming, we thought it made sense to curate the most interesting material for our readers. Each week, Troy Barile-Simleness will be bringing you that material. — Russ Baker

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The theme this week is selective memory. A sixth document batch arrived from the House Oversight Committee; a bipartisan committee voted to drag the attorney general in under subpoena; missing files were publicly identified — and then, under pressure, some appeared. Through it all, the administration’s message held: Nothing is hidden; everything has been released — and yet no one has been charged.

Prison Guard: ‘We’re Going to Cover It Up’

A five-page handwritten FBI interview report documents an inmate at the Metropolitan Correctional Center who woke to a commotion on the morning of August 10, 2019, and heard shouting: Breathe! Breathe!  (Voices of officers)  Dudes, you killed that dude!  (One officer) If he is dead, we’re going to cover it up and he’s going to have an alibi — my officers. (Female voice) The inmate identified the female as Tova Noel — one of two guards later charged with falsifying records to conceal the fact that they never checked on Epstein that night. He also said that, after his fellow inmates learned that Epstein had died, they said: Miss Noel killed Jeffrey. Epstein’s autopsy found fractures on both sides of the larynx, and on the left side of the hyoid bone, that forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden described as far more consistent with homicidal strangulation than suicide by hanging. No one has been charged with his death. And newly released Department of Justice documents reveal that this same guard — Tova Noel — had been receiving cash deposits, 12 of them, including a $5,000 deposit just 10 days before Epstein’s death. Chase Bank had separately filed a suspicious activity report with the FBI flagging these deposits — but investigators never asked her about them during her DOJ interview.  Where did that money come from? Why didn’t they investigate? An internal FBI briefing also identified Noel as likely the officer seen on surveillance footage carrying orange linen — the same material he allegedly used to hang himself — toward Epstein’s cell around 10:40 p.m., the last documented approach to the unit that night. Noel denied ever handling linen. And curiously, on the night Epstein died, Noel searched the internet for “latest on Epstein in jail” twice within 10 minutes, at 5:42 a.m. and 5:52 a.m. — less than 40 minutes before his body was found. Noel claimed she did not remember making such searches when questioned under oath in 2021, calling the FBI records “not accurate.” On July 6, 2019, Epstein was arrested. On July 7, 2019, Noel started working at the Special Housing Unit, where Epstein had been placed. Update: The House Oversight Committee has requested Noel to come for a transcribed in-person interview on March 26.

The DOJ Removed Nearly 50,000 Files From Its Public Database

The DOJ took down more than 47,000 files totaling about 65,500 pages. Some contained explicit images and unredacted survivor information, including a document with photos of 21 survivors and most of their birthdates. But other removals are harder to explain, including a call log with all names already redacted and photos of Epstein’s jail bunk and evidence bags. The DOJ said the files were temporarily removed for victim protection and will be reposted.

Congress Subpoenaed AG Bondi in a Bipartisan Vote

On March 4, the House Oversight Committee voted 24–19 to subpoena Attorney General Pam Bondi to testify about the DOJ’s handling of the Epstein files, with five Republicans crossing the aisle — including Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), who introduced the measure. The bipartisan summons followed Bondi’s February appearance before the House Judiciary Committee. When asked, in that appearance, how many of Epstein’s coconspirators she had indicted or investigated, Bondi exploded, loudly talking nonstop over Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), saying, among other things, “I’m not going to get into the gutter with these people.” Nadler managed to answer his own question — she had indicted “zero” Epstein co-conspirators. But Bondi kept on ranting, almost incoherently, on a variety of subjects, eventually shouting that the Dow was over 50,000 dollars [sic] and the Nasdaq was “smashing records.” When Democrats objected, she called ranking member Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) a “washed-up loser lawyer.” When survivors sat behind her in the room and a lawmaker asked her to acknowledge what the DOJ had put them through — the DOJ’s failure to redact their names and personal information (while redacting the names of alleged perpetrators) — she changed the subject to a rant on her predecessor Merrick Garland. When another lawmaker made the same request, she pointed to the expired clock and said, “Your time is up.” Even Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) told reporters she “didn’t answer anything” and that her performance “sounds kind of crazy.” Related: Right Wing Theatre of Lies: A Critical Review

A Sixth Document Release Raised More Questions Than It Answered

On March 5, the DOJ released 16 previously withheld pages — FBI interview summaries from 2019 in which a woman describes being abused by Epstein and separately assaulted by Donald Trump as a minor in the 1980s. The department’s explanation: The files had been “incorrectly coded as duplicative.” NPR had already publicly identified the missing records, but the White House called the allegations baseless. Thirty-seven additional pages identified by NPR remain unaccounted for, with no public explanation.

Senate Republicans Blocked Access to Epstein’s Bank Records

Sen. Ron Wyden’s (D-OR) proposal to compel the Treasury Department to turn over Epstein-related bank records was blocked by Senate Republicans. Wyden revealed that his investigators had reviewed a portion of the records in 2024. They discovered that Epstein made 4,725 wire transfers totaling more than $1 billion through his JPMorgan accounts alone. He also used Russian correspondent bank accounts to process hundreds of millions in payments associated with trafficking in Russia and Eastern Europe. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has repeatedly refused to turn over the records.

The Russian Intelligence Thread Got Official Recognition

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) took the Senate floor on March 5 to trace, in detail, the documented connections between Epstein and Russian intelligence networks — citing MI6’s assessment of Robert Maxwell, Epstein’s documented cultivation of FSB-connected officials, his use of Russian correspondent banks, and his expired Austrian passport listing Saudi Arabia as his residence under a false name. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has already announced a formal investigation into whether Russian intelligence was operationally involved in Epstein’s network, but the US has not.

‘Uncle Jeffrey’ to Goldman Sachs General Counsel

Kathryn Ruemmler, who served as White House counsel under President Barack Obama before becoming Goldman Sachs’s top lawyer, announced her resignation after emails revealed her close friendship with Epstein. The documents show she called him “Uncle Jeffrey,” accepted luxury gifts, including a Hermès bag and $10,000 in Bergdorf Goodman gift cards, and even received a phone call from Epstein the night of his arrest. Four months before his arrest, she was advising him on how to push back against media scrutiny of his 2008 plea deal. Her resignation follows that of Brad Karp, the chairman of the Paul Weiss law firm, who also stepped down over Epstein emails.

Gates, Ruemmler, Black, and Five Others Called to Testify

Rep. James Comer (R-KY), chairman of the House Oversight Committee, sent letters on March 3 requesting transcribed interviews be conducted  by the committee for Bill Gates, Kathryn Ruemmler, Apollo’s Leon Black, Clinton aide Doug Band, former Epstein assistants Lesley Groff and Sarah Kellen, and tech billionaire Ted Waitt. Gates, Ruemmler, and Black quickly agreed, with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick also agreeing to testify voluntarily. The cooperation is worth scrutinizing: Voluntary congressional testimony, arrived at with counsel and prepared statements, is not the same as grand jury testimony. Black paid Epstein $170 million — more than any other adviser — and Ruemmler was receiving gifts and advising him on media strategy after his 2008 conviction. The question is whether the committee is trying to find what’s actually there because what already sits in the record is substantial.

Deepak Chopra Knew About ‘The Girls’

The spiritual author acknowledged “poor judgment” after emails surfaced showing him inviting Epstein to bring “his girls” on multiple trips. In February 2017, Chopra invited Epstein to Israel and wrote: “If you want use a fake name. Bring your girls. Your girls would love it as would you.” Later that year, he invited Epstein to a workshop in Switzerland “with your girls.” The correspondence shows Epstein’s employees arranging transportation for “the girls” to attend Chopra’s events. Chopra said in a statement that he was never involved in any criminal conduct.

Bard College President Leon Botstein Apologized

Botstein, who has led Bard College for 50 years, issued a statement expressing regret after documents revealed he was named more than 2,000 times in Epstein’s emails and records.The files show Epstein visiting the college multiple times, Botstein inviting him in 2013 to a private after-party where young women were reportedly told to bring their IDs, and Botstein planning to travel to Epstein’s island. In emails, Botstein wrote that he cherished his “new friendship” with Epstein and signed off with “Miss you.” The board has launched an independent review led by the law firm WilmerHale.

What We’re Watching

The DOJ has not explained why 37 pages identified by NPR as missing have not appeared, including interview notes and a law enforcement report. More than 2,000 videos seized from Epstein have received almost no systematic analysis from the media. And the bank records that Wyden cannot obtain remain the most direct path to understanding who else was involved.

What’s Still Missing

The DOJ reviewed over 6 million pages and released about half. The department said it withheld duplicates, files related to active investigations, child sexual abuse material, and files that would reveal survivor information. It has promised to publish written justifications for redactions in the Federal Register. When that happens, we will have a better sense of what is being kept from the public and why.

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Troy Barile-Simleness is a Las Vegas−based aspiring investigative journalist, author of The Elementings: The Great Symphony, and a doctoral thesis editor. You can also follow his work on Substack.

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